Can You Flush Tampons? The Facts on Tampon Disposal and Recycling Tampax

Please Don’t Flush Tampons Down the Toilet

No shame, we’ve all been there. The oh-so-tempting convenience of pulling a tampon out and wanting to flush it down the toilet (especially in a public restroom) seems like the perfect mess-free thing to do. We hear you...and we wish it were true. But PLEASE do not flush your tampons down the toilet. One thing we know everyone could enjoy less of is opening a stall door and coming face to face with a red, bloody, and clogged toilet. Do your part and please don’t flush tampons.

Tampons Disposal: How to Get Rid of a Tampon

So, now that you’ve decided to never flush a tampon again, how should you dispose of it? Tampon disposal is pretty straight-forward, you can simply wrap your used tampon up in toilet paper and throw away used tampons in the garbage bin or trash. Nothing fancy. Tampon applicators, whether they are cardboard or plastic, can also be wrapped in toilet paper and thrown away and we suggest our Radiant tampons, which come with a CleanSeal wrapper, for quick, easy disposal.

Tampon Recycling – What You Can and Cannot Recycle

We’ve covered the bases on can you flush tampons down the toilet – please don’t flush them and simply toss those in the garbage along with the wrapper. But can I recycle my tampon applicator? It’s a good question. Unfortunately, you cannot recycle tampon applicators. Because tampons have been in contact with blood which is considered human waste, conventional city or country recycling streams are unable to process them.

While tampon applicators cannot be recycled, all Tampax boxes in North America can be recycled and 96% of all Tampax packaging globally is recyclable. Many of our packages are made from recycled materials, so continue helping us out and recycle your Tampax boxes after use. We’ve reduced the amount of packaging required for our products and continue to look for ways to reduce the material needed to get products into your hand.